The average male or female scalp is endowed with between 100,000 and 150,000 hair follicles from which human hairs are generated. Generally, adult human hair can be divided into two categories, “vellous” and “terminal” hair. Vellous hair is comprised of very thin short hairs, only a centimeter or two long, that contain little or no pigment. The follicles that produce vellous hair do not have oil glands (often called sebaceous glands), and never produce any other kind of hair. Terminal hair is comprised of the long hairs that grow on the head and in many people on the body, arms and legs too. They are produced by follicles with sebaceous glands. In people who have inherited a tendency to baldness the hairs in these follicles gradually become thinner and shorter until they look like vellous hairs.
The human hair growth cycle is essentially composed of three stages which repeats indefinitely in healthy follicles. The three known growth stages which have been identified are: (a) the anagen stage, during which the hair grows, (b) the katagen stage, during which the hair follicle prepares for the next phase, the telogen, and the previously growing hair is converted into a resting hair or club hair and (c) the telogen, which is the resting phase during which hair growth ceases completely. Using a mechanism, not yet fully understood, at some point at the end of the cycle, telogenic follicles commence forming new anagens, causing new hair to grow and existing hair to fall out. This growth cycle repeats itself unchanged during the life of the follicle and is essentially identical for vellous or terminal hair-producing follicles.
It has been determined through observation and experimentation that in order for abundant hair growth to occur, healthy follicles and a good supply for it of all necessary nutrients are required. Unhealthy follicles, such as caused by disease or stress, or improper nutrition can thus result in loss of hair. Hair loss brought about by these factors, however, is usually temporary and can be reversed by eliminating the unhealthy conditions. Such reversible conditions, generally of unknown origin, should not be confused with the more chronic conditions which cause irreversible hair loss by replacing terminal hair with vellous hair and eventually no hair.
The exact pathogenic or genetic mechanism that triggers the shift in certain follicles from producing terminal to vellous, and eventually to a complete absence of, hair, is the subject of much debate. Suffice it to say that there is no consensus among those skilled in the art as to the causes of hair loss in men and women. As a result, numerous attempts have been made to provide methods and/or compositions which effectively, and without adverse consequences, can prevent or reverse the seemingly permanent shift from terminal to vellous hair-producing follicles in certain persons.
However, none of these attempts have proven satisfactory from the standpoint of efficacy, convenience, safety or cost. Accordingly, there is a present need for a convenient, inexpensive, safe and efficient compound to treat persons suffering from hair loss conditions, such as alopecia.